Job 39:18 · Bible study
Job 39:18 Commentary: The Ostrich's Defiant Speed and Divine Wisdom
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How a creature lacking wisdom scorns horse and rider. Explore the Hebrew verb for 'flap' and the paradox of divine design.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Despite being described as lacking wisdom, the ostrich uses God-given speed to outrun a horse and rider, showing that God's gifts often defy human logic.
- Key words: tamri' (flaps/lashes herself), a debated verb of motion; sachaq (laughs/scorns), a verb of contempt that implies confidence and freedom.
- Main debate: Whether the verb in verse 18 means “lifts up” (traditional) or “lashes herself with wings” (Gesenius, Keil & Delitzsch). Both readings yield the same result: extraordinary speed.
- Theological theme: God's wisdom transcends human categories of strength and weakness; He gives surprising gifts to the most unlikely creatures.
- Best use: A passage for teaching on the sovereignty and creativity of God, and for encouraging those who feel inadequate that God can still do remarkable things through them.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.
WEB World English Bible 2000
When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
KJV King James Version 1769
What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
What time she lasheth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y olvídase de que los pisará el pie, y que los quebrará bestia del campo.
Porém quando se levanta para correr, zomba do cavalo e do seu cavaleiro.
Elle oublie que le pied peut les écraser,
Zu der Zeit, da er hoch auffährt, verlacht er beide, Roß und Mann.
Als het tijd is, verheft zij zich in de hoogte; zij belacht het paard en zijn rijder.
Ma quando si leva e piglia lo slancio, si beffa del cavallo e di chi lo cavalca.
A nie pomni na to, że je noga zetrzeć, a zwierzę polne zdeptać może.
а когда поднимется на высоту, посмевается коню и всаднику его.
牠幾時 挺身 展開翅膀，就嗤笑 馬 和騎馬的人。
When she is shaking her wings on high, she makes sport of the horse and of him who is seated on him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 39:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree on the central paradox: a bird God describes as lacking wisdom (Job 39:17) yet possesses speed that mocks the most prized warhorse. Barnes notes that the phrase “lifteth up herself” describes the ostrich rousing herself for flight, not aerial flight, but a running gait aided by wings. The Hebrew verb tamri' may mean “flaps” or “lashes herself,” as Keil and Delitzsch and Gesenius propose, but the effect is the same: she beats the air and races away. Cambridge Bible reports measured speeds of twenty-six miles per hour and strides of twenty-two to twenty-eight feet. The “scorning” (Hebrew sachaq, to laugh) is a laughter of contempt born of sheer, God-given speed. Wesley and Gill add that even the fastest horse could not match the ostrich, Xenophon recorded that no horse in Cyrus' army could catch one. This ability stands in deliberate contrast to the bird's earlier description as foolish and hard toward her young. The paradox displays God's freedom: He gives extraordinary gifts even where we see ordinary weakness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The ostrich's speed enables it to outrun a horse and rider, creating a deliberate contrast with its earlier description as lacking wisdom.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The ostrich's wisdom | All agree the text says God deprived the ostrich of wisdom (v.17). This includes instincts for nest protection and care for young. | Some interpreters (e.g., Matthew Henry) see this as a moral lesson about neglect; others see it as a description of the ostrich's unique reproductive strategy, leaving eggs to heat by sun. |
| Meaning of 'lifteth up herself on high' | The phrase refers to the ostrich's action when pursued, rousing herself to flee. | Older English versions (KJV, ASV) read it as raising herself up. Gesenius and many modern scholars translate the verb as 'lashes herself' or 'flaps,' referring to the wing motion that assists running. |
| The ostrich's swiftness as a divine gift | The speed is clearly a gift from God, used to contrast with the bird's apparent foolishness. | Some (e.g., Calvin's tradition) emphasize that this shows how God's wisdom operates through creatures that lack human reason. Others (e.g., some modern ecotheologians) see it as a celebration of biodiversity and God's delight in variety. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 39 sits within God's speech from the whirlwind (chapters 38, 41), where the Lord challenges Job with a parade of wild creatures. The ostrich appears after the wild goat, deer, and wild ass, animals that resist human domestication and control. The ancient Near East knew the ostrich as a strange bird: nearly eight feet tall, flightless, yet able to run faster than a galloping horse. Pliny the Elder called it the largest of birds, and Xenophon's Anabasis records Arab horsemen giving up pursuit because ostriches outran them.
The Hebrew word for “lifteth up herself” (tamri') is obscure. Older translations like the KJV read it as raising up. But Barnes, following Gesenius, notes the root likely means “to lash or whip,” suggesting the ostrich whips herself forward with her wings. The verb matches the Semitic context: the ostrich does not truly fly but uses its wings like sails, as Claudian described, “with wings curved by the wind, she flies though she does not rise from the ground.”
The horse was central to ancient warfare and status. By having the ostrich “scorn the horse and his rider,” God turns human pride on its head. The fastest, most intimidating weapon of the day cannot catch a bird. God's creation exceeds human categories of strength and weakness. The surrounding context reinforces this: the horse itself later appears in verses 19, 25 as a magnificent creature that “mocks at fear”, yet both horse and ostrich are creatures of God, each with its own form of God-given “fearlessness.”
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Job 39:18. The Hebrew is stable across manuscripts. The main interpretive difficulty lies in the verb tamri' (Hiphil of mara), which is rare and may mean either “lifts up” or “flaps.” The Masoretic reading is consistent.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have long been struck by the contrast between the ostrich's foolishness and her speed. Early church fathers like Basil of Caesarea used the passage in his Hexaemeron to illustrate the diversity of divine wisdom. The medieval Glossa Ordinaria noted the ostrich as a type of the sinner who, though negligent in spiritual duties, can still be used by God for unexpected purposes. John Calvin read the passage as a demonstration that God's power is often displayed where human reason sees deficiency. More recent commentators like the Cambridge Bible (Tristram) and Keil & Delitzsch have enriched the interpretation with natural history, confirming the speed measurements that the ancient world already celebrated. Throughout reception history, this verse has served as a reminder that God's gifts are not distributed according to our merit or logic, the ostrich gets speed without wisdom, and the horse gets strength without the ability to laugh.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The surprising gift. The ostrich lacks wisdom (v.17), yet God gives her blazing speed. Our weaknesses do not limit what God can do through us, He deposits strength where we see only emptiness.
- Laughter at the horse. The word “scorneth” is the same Hebrew verb used for mocking or derision. This is not cruelty; it is the confident ease of one who knows she cannot be caught. God grants His creatures a kind of freedom that human might cannot touch.
- Divine freedom in creation. Why would God make a foolish bird so fast? The question reveals that God's purposes in creation are not tidily explained by human reason. The ostrich is not a lesson about merit; she is a living exhibit of God's sovereign, playful wisdom.
Five-point outline
- The ostrich appears in a list of creatures that resist human control (39:1, 18).
- Her deficiencies are stated first: she abandons eggs, is harsh to young, lacks wisdom (39:14, 17).
- Then the turn: “When she lifts up herself on high”, a sudden transformation into a runner that mocks pursuit.
- The contrast between foolishness and speed is not a contradiction; it is a window into God's creativity.
- The horse, celebrated in the next passage, is also a gift; neither animal is superior, both display facets of God's glory.
Illustration hooks
- An athlete who looks awkward in practice but becomes unstoppable in a race, the ostrich's clumsiness masks its hidden speed.
- A child who struggles in school yet shows remarkable skill in a crisis, gifts appear where we least expect them.
- The experience of being underestimated by others, then surprising them. The ostrich does not boast; she simply runs.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If I feel foolish or inadequate, can God still use me powerfully?”
- “Why does God create creatures with such contradictory traits, what does that say about His character?”
- “How do I respond when I see success in someone who doesn't ‘deserve’ it by human standards?”
Leading a Discussion
This passage sits inside God's answer to Job, a divine tour of the animal kingdom that questions human assumptions about wisdom and strength. The ostrich is a puzzle: she fails at mothering, yet she can outrun the mightiest horse. Does this tell us something about God's way of valuing things differently than we do?
Discussion questions
- Read Job 39:13, 18. What specific problems does God point out about the ostrich? How would you summarize her character?
- Now read verse 18. The same bird that seems foolish and careless suddenly “scorns the horse and his rider.” Why do you think God draws attention to this contrast?
- The Hebrew verb tamri' means “to flap” or “to lash oneself.” Some translators read it as “lifts up.” How does the image of the ostrich whipping herself forward change how you picture the scene?
- In what areas of your life have you felt like the ostrich, lacking wisdom or strength, yet still able to do something surprising?
- Why do you think God includes animals like the ostrich in His speech to Job? What is He saying about His own wisdom and power through these creatures?
- Compare this verse with Job 39:19, 25, where the horse is described in glowing terms. What does the pairing of these two animals teach us about God's creativity? Is He showing favoritism?
- How might this passage change the way you view people who seem to have mixed qualities, weak in some areas, strong in others?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 19:21 | This is the word that Yahweh has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you. |
| Job 5:22 | You will laugh at destruction and famine, neither will you be afraid of the animals of the earth. |
| Job 39:7 | He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver. |
| Job 39:22 | He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword. |
| Job 41:29 | Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes the ostrich moves by using its wings like sails to push air and run at great speed. This creature can outrun horses that cost a lot of money. You may find hope in Christ and the resurrection.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights how the ostrich's surprising swiftness and proud defiance when fleeing easily outpace any horse and rider. He argues this trait displays God's creative wisdom, and notes that later natural history confirms the Bible's accurate description of the bird's remarkable speed.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view point to Job 39:18, while others emphasize other verses. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture. You may find hope in Christ and the resurrection.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The commentator points out that the ostrich's neglect goes beyond simple carelessness: it actually forgets the real danger that its eggs will be trampled underfoot or broken open by wild animals. The forgetfulness itself is the striking detail, showing a complete disregard for the most obvious threats.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the ostrich's physical advantages: when alarmed it rises to eight feet high, towering over a mounted rider and outrunning a horse. He also notes its unusual defense—kicking stones backward at pursuers as if from a sling—which lets the bird both harm and defy those who chase it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The commentary notes that the creature in question has notable strengths despite apparent flaws (GESENIUS says it flaps its wings to move forward). It also states that other creatures reject attempts to explain why it proudly lifts itself.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch draw on the Hebrew wordplay where the stork's name means pious to contrast with the ostrich, whom God caused to forget wisdom. The ostrich carelessly abandons its eggs, yet when it rises and runs it derides the horse and rider with astonishing speed. This apparent folly is part of God's design.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that God appears during the storm not as a visible human being but as an invisible force felt through sound and light. This hidden manifestation humbles Job by showing his own weakness before God’s power.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the peacock’s fine feathers make it proud yet foolish because beauty does not always bring wisdom. He also says the ostrich has lovely plumage but lacks wisdom and ignores its young.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes the paradox: the ostrich cannot fly, yet when it lifts its head and spreads its wings, it runs so fast that mounted pursuers cannot catch it. Its scorn comes from sheer swiftness, not from flight.